Jacksonville, Oregon

A couple weeks ago I went down to southern Oregon to chase wildflowers, bugs and year birds. It's another world down there filled with more friendly people and poison oak than a person like me could ever need. But the flowers? Yeah, they make up for that. 

I ended up in Jacksonville on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon in search of the Jacksonville Woodlands I learned about on the incredible Pacific Northwest Wildflowers website. After driving through the cutest movie-like town I've ever seen I followed a narrow road straight up a hill to gravel parking area. I got out of the car and Acorn Woodpeckers demanded attention as they tried to shove acorns into various electrical contraptions. 

 

I had recently drowned my Canon R7 on a rainy day walk and was borrowing Jacob's nicer R5 with a 100-500 lens. As I walked away from the woodpeckers a guy about my age was coming off the trail. "Hey what lens is that?" Ugh. I do not enjoy talking cameras or optics or any of that. I just want to look at stuff and take pictures of it. 

Western Skink

But this guy claimed to also be a photographer and asked to see photos. I showed him some awful ones of the woodpeckers which he seemed amazed by, then left saying some sort of cliche thing about how we can't live without art. 
 

Trillium albidum (Giant White Wakerobin)

There were more friendly folks on the trail including a family with a boy of about ten who said "High five?" as he approached me with his hand raised. 

Orange-winged Carpet moth 

 

My first thought was "be cool, give the kid a high five." So before my second and third thoughts could form that is what I did. We high fived and the family carried on with their hike.

 

Henderson's Shooting Stars

My next thoughts involved what could possibly be on my hand now. Maybe the kid rubbed it in poison oak and is now high fiving random people for giggles. Maybe the kid just ate something sticky. Maybe the kid just licked his fingers. I'm not a germ wary person in general but I found myself wiping my hand on my pants just in case. As if that would help. 

Acorn Woodpecker

Oak Titmouse

I managed to avoid awkward interactions with other hikers for the rest of my time there. 

So. Many. Madrones.

 Back at the car I dug out some wheat crackers and hummus, stuffing my face with zero thoughts about whatever may have still lingered on my hand. The benefit of having a short attention span.